Spells and Hot Chocolate
by Just A Nameless Nobody
Summary: It's the most wonderful time of the year! And with it come a plethora of gifts! This is a collection of One-shots based off of prompts that I'll be filling in throughout the month of December. Starco/Marar fluff will be had!
1. First Snow

**Author's notes: This is going to be a new thing that I'm going to try out - having never done one of these before - and I'm hoping that you'll all find it enjoyable! It's a bit early, mainly because I'll need all the time I can get while I'm still on Thanksgiving Break, but throughout the month of December I'll be doing stories based on Winter prompts! Plenty of Starco fluff will be had - something desperately needed at the moment...**

 **I hope that you all enjoy them, and as always, comments and critiques are greatly appreciated!**

 **Disclaimer: Star Vs the Forces of Evil belongs to Daron Nefcy**

* * *

"Maaaarco… Marco~..."

"Marco Diaz!"

The boy yelped as he fell out of his bed, lying face down on the floor for a moment before slowly picking himself back up. Letting out a small hiss as he gently rubbed his forehead, Marco turned his head to find Star staring at him at the end of his bed, hopping up and down a bit with a bright smile on her face.

"Star, what are you doing in my room?" he asked as he grabbed at his phone, letting out a quiet groan as he checked the time. "It's six o'clock in the morning."

"Yeah, but this is important! Look outside!"

Now thoroughly awake, Marco sighed as he crawled back onto his bed and towards the window, shivering a bit from how cold it was. One look was all it took to render the boy speechless as he stared at what lay outside, eyes wide in awe. "Wow…"

White. From his neighbors houses to the front lawn, the color white had almost completely covered his entire neighborhood. Turning his gaze skyward, Marco could see small flecks of snow slowly descending towards the ground, adding more to the piles already present.

"This doesn't make any sense," he murmured, his eyebrows furrowed as he wiped his hand across the window. "It can get cold during the winter, sure, but we're in Los Angeles! It shouldn't even be possible for it to snow here…"

"Then we should be taking advantage of it while it's still here!" Star was practically beaming, unable to contain her excitement as she bounded towards the door. "Come on, Marco!"

Before he could get another word in, Marco watched as the princess ran right out of the room. Despite the initial annoyance at having been woken up so early, Marco couldn't help but chuckle a bit as he put on a pair of socks and grabbed two of his favorite red hoodie before following after the enthusiastic princess.

Finding the backyard door open once he was downstairs, Marco walked out to find Star, dressed only in her pajamas and a pair of shoes, hunched over, picking up a small handful of the frozen material in her hands and staring at it with a look of wonder.

"Star, you're going to catch a cold out here dressed like that," he said, holding a hoodie out to her, which the princess accepted gratefully as the snow in her hands plopped back onto the ground. Puffs of cold air could be seen from the two as they sighed in relief, relishing in the addition of the newfound warmth that the clothing provided.

"So, the reason you woke me up so early is because… it's snowing?"

"Well, yeah! Frozen water that falls from the sky, Marco? We don't have anything like this back over in Mewni!"

"...You're kidding, right?" A chuckle escaped Marco as he placed his hands in his pockets, though it quickly died down once he realized that Star's expression had yet to change. "Really?"

"Nope." Bending down, Star picked up another handful of snow, bits and pieces of it falling off as she crafted a small ball from it. "Things don't really change much back home, and I haven't really been to a lot of dimensions that have this kind of thing," she said, lightly tossing the ball up into the air and catching it. An astonished look replaced the confused one on the boy's face as he stared at her.

"Seriously? You've never made snowmen before? Snow angels? Had a snowball fight?" He knew that Mewni was a completely different world from Earth; the two dimensions must have varied much more than he thought that they had. Was this the princess's first time actually seeing snow?

"You can _fight_ with this?" Star's eyes were wide open as she looked down at the lump of snow in her hand, giggling as she made her way over to the boy. "Marco. You _need_ to teach me. Please?"

"Alright, alright! Here, let me show you." With an amused grin on his face, Marco went through the basics of what a snowball fight was and what was typically involved in one. He would have to stop often in his explanation due to the numerous questions that Star asked him - many of which focused on the way she could hit an opponent with it - but by the time he finished speaking, Star was floored, the light having never left her eyes as he talked, instead seeming to grow brighter.

"Can we try it out now?"

Marco knew she would ask the dreaded question the moment Star had opened her mouth. Offering her an apologetic smile, Marco replied, "I'm not so sure now would be a good time, Star. We're barely dressed to be out here as it is, and it's freezing out here." To prove his point, Marco brought his hands out of his pockets, moved them close to his face and exhaled, trapping the warm air in-between them for a moment before bringing them back down to his sides. Not even a few seconds has passed by before he felt the urge to do so again, his digits already feeling the chill of the winter air.

"Come oooon, Marco," Star whined, gesturing out towards the expanse of the backyard. "We've got all of this to ourselves! It might not even be here by the time we actually have a snowball fight!"

"Star, the snow won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Let's go back inside, alright? It'll take the sun a long time before it can melt all of this." Taking in one more breath of fresh air, Marco turned around and began walking back towards the house, the snow crunching beneath his feet with each step. The sound of a second set of footsteps followed him shortly after he had spoke, and he let out a relieved sigh.

When he was almost upon the back door to the house, Marco turned back around, about to offer a way to make it up to Star for having to go back inside when she was clearly ecstatic about wanting to play around in the snow, when he felt his hands being wrapped around someone else's own.

"Your hands are still cold, right? Mine are still pretty warm." Staring down at the intertwined hands, heat rose up to Marco's cheeks, dusting his face with a pinch of color as he realized that he was holding Star's hands. A girl's hands. The first girl that he was holding hands with.

Despite having handled a few clumps of snow, the digits that encompassed his own were still quite warm, if not a bit toasty, and he could slowly feel his hands actually begin to heat up a bit. He had held onto Star's hands before - numerous times that would take both of his hands to count - but Marco had never actually _held_ them. Aside from the warmth, the way that they fit into his hands, as if they were a matching pair of gloves, and how smooth they were sent a fuzzy sort of feeling across Marco's chest.

Tearing his eyes away from his hands, Marco looked up at the one who was currently holding them and almost wished that he hadn't. The look on Star's face was a determined one; her gaze was focused solely on their interlocked digits, looking as if she were boring into them and willing the boy's hands to stop being cold. Yet, there was a smile plastered onto her face, full of gentleness and warmth that he'd rarely seen on the princess.

"Star…"

"There we go!" Releasing her grip on the boy's hands - much to his… reluctance? - Star held her own behind her back as she stared at Marco, her smile having returned to its usual brightness. "That should do it, right, Marco? Courtesy of Star Butterfly, master hand warmer."

The warmth in his hands had left the moment that Star's were removed from his own, but the warmth on his face had yet to leave. Scratching at his cheek as he averted his gaze, Marco muttered, "Well, we're already up, and a few minutes wouldn't hurt…"

The boy's answer was all that Star needed before she quickly grabbed him and dragged him back into the middle of the backyard. "I knew you'd see things my way," she said, letting out another giggle as she began construction on the 'ice fortress' she'd be using for the fight.

Balling his hands into fists, noting the slightest bit of heat that managed to accumulate in them, Marco sighed before shaking his head, moving over to another part of the backyard and starting work on his own wall of ice. An involuntary grin slowly settled onto his face as he looked back over at the girl across from him, the focus in her eyes evident as she molded a part of the ice into a wall.

It wasn't exactly the way he'd wanted to spend a weekend morning… but it wasn't an unwelcome one.


	2. Ice Skating

"Come on, Marco! People are starting to go in!"

"Just one more second, Star…"

The constant fidgeting of the girl's feet made it a bit hard for the boy to do his job properly, but after a few moments he nodded to himself, satisfied with the result, before standing back up. The double-knot he'd tied had done the trick, using up any leftover lace so as to prevent the wearer from tripping.

"Make sure to tie them more tightly next time, alright?" he cautioned. "Don't want you to end up falling on your face."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, ignoring the boy's warning entirely, her attention focused solely on the massive circle of ice in front of her. "I got it, Marco."

Sighing at the princess's obliviousness, Marco shook his head before leading her to the small opening leading into the rink.

There had been talk of Echo Creek bringing back its formerly annual "Frozen Over Ice Skating" event in the weeks leading up to December. The funding for it had dried up a few years prior due to budget changes, but news of its possible revival had spread like wildfire throughout the community; it was considered a tradition to many of Echo Creek's residents, holding a special place in the hearts of those that attended and reveled in the holiday fun.

With the announcement of the ice rink's official return a few days back, it had been decided that morning that the day would be spent downtown at the rink, bringing Marco to his current situation.

Reaching the gate, Marco took a quick look around in an attempt to find his parents. Peering through the swarms of people, he'd managed to find them off to the side, each carrying a cup of hot chocolate in their hands as they watched other people skate. Knowing his mother and father, Marco had thought that they would be gliding around on the ice along with everyone else; they'd probably try later when less people were around.

A startled gasp snapped Marco back into focus, and, upon turning his gaze forward, reached his hand out just as Star had looked like she was about to fall over.

"Thanks, Marco," she said, chuckling shakily as she held onto the wall of the rink. Her legs wobbled as she fought to maintain balance, prompting the princess to lean against the wall entirely before sighing. "This is supposed to be as easy as walking, right? How come it's so hard to just stand still?"

"You're just not used to it yet, Star. This kind of thing takes time to learn." Offering the girl a small smile, Marco stepped onto the ice and swerved around her with ease, placing his elbows on top of the wall as he took the spot next to her. "I can help you out if you want me to."

Star's expression had brightened considerably at hearing the offer, her previous troubles with moving around on the ice having been pushed to the back of her mind. "Really? You can skate, Marco?"

"For the most part. Here, let me show you the basics."

Taking a few steps forward, Marco moved a bit towards the inner part of the ring, getting enough space so as to skate properly. He turned his head to the girl, who was staring at him with her utmost attention.

"The main thing you want to focus on, Star," he began, pointing towards his legs, "is to keep your legs steady. You don't want to keep yourself too firm, but not too loose, either. Keep your knees bent forward, but just slightly; lean forward too much and you'll end up falling onto your face.

"I'm going to move forward now. Watch what I'm doing, and see if you can copy it."

His knees bent, the blades of his skates facing inward, and his chest up, Marco gently pushed off with his right leg, taking slow and precise steps in between glides towards the other end of the rink. He stopped just shy of the wall, one foot in front of the other as it pushed against the ice. He then made his way back, taking a few glances at Star as he made his way back to her.

"Your turn, Star. You don't need to go all the way to the end, just try and get a feel for the steps, alright?" He gestured towards the path in front of them.

While the princess's enthusiasm was admirable, the moment she found herself facing forward, her legs found themselves unable to keep a steady enough purchase on the ice, resulting in another irritated sigh. A frown settled itself onto Star's normally smiling face for a moment, a hand under her chin as her eyebrows furrowed. She'd battled countless monsters and crossed a multitude of dimensions; a frozen sheet of water wasn't going to stop her from having fun.

An idea suddenly came to mind, much to Star's delight, and she motioned for the boy to come closer to her, taking his hand when he was within reach. "Just until I can keep myself steady, Marco," she said before he had even opened his mouth. "Promise that you won't let go?"

A beat of silence passed between the two of them, the sounds of laughter from the other skaters surrounding them. The grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly.

"I promise, Star. Now, show me what you can do."

Smiling, the princess faced forward once again, her eyes set on the wall at the other end. Albeit with a bit too much force, Star pushed the two forward, holding her free hand out in an attempt to keep herself balanced. She took another step, then another, and then another, letting out a laugh when she reached the halfway point between each end.

"This isn't so bad after all! I'll be skating circles around this thing by the-!"

Star yelped as her body fell forward, her eagerness having caused her to lean too far out,and she closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impact against the icy floor. When she hadn't felt the cold surface of the ice after a few seconds, the princess cracked an eye open and was met with a dark shade of red. Arching an eyebrow in confusion, Star slowly looked up to find Marco staring down at her, a relieved grin on his face.

"That was, uh… pretty close. You alright, Star?"

The princess in question was unable to answer, her mouth shut and her eyes locked onto the boy holding her. It might have been the adrenaline that was still coursing through her after nearly face-planting, but for a moment, Star found herself wondering when it was exactly that she'd lost herself in the sea of brown that was Marco's eyes.

The light shaking eventually snapped the princess out of her trance, and she quickly put a bit of distance between them, turning her head away as she let out another laugh, hiding the hint of warmth that sprang up onto her cheeks.

"Yeah, thanks to you! Just," she paused, taking a deep breath, "give me a few seconds."

Once she was sure that her legs wouldn't give out underneath her, the two resumed their practice. They'd gone over a few more techniques - how to stop, gliding, and the essentials when moving forward - and despite a few more mess-ups, Marco had kept true to his word, his hand still firmly interlocked with Star's own even as they moved closer to the middle of the rink.

"What'd I tell you? All it took was a little bit of time," he said, ushering Star out of the way of an incoming skater. "Just be careful around here, Star. It's starting to get kind of crowded."

"I'll be fi-ine, Marco. Safety is my middle name." Her response garnered a rather unamused look from the boy skating next to her, in turn causing her to cover her mouth to hold back from chuckling.

It seemed like with each passing day, Star learned more and more about Marco Diaz and the planet known as Earth. Like all of the dimensions that she'd visited, everything was so different and exciting that it was hard to keep track of it all, at times; each new world was a brand new adventure just waiting to happen, and having someone else around for the ride made it infinitely more better.

She shifted her focus on the path in front of her to the boy at her side. He was looking forward, taking a quick glance around every now and then to make sure that they weren't in the way of anyone else. While not as bright as her own, the corners of his mouth were pointed upwards into a smile. She nodded to herself. Star couldn't have asked for a better person to be friends with then Marco Diaz.

A rough bump of her shoulder sent the princess tumbling forward. By the time she'd broken free of her thoughts, it was already too late. She felt a light tug on her arm, and she instinctively pulled back, only to bring the poor boy down with her as the two slid out from within the middle of the rink towards the outer edges.

Gritting his teeth at the light pulsing of his arm - there would be a bruise there the next day, he was sure of it - Marco planted his hands onto the ice, shaking his head as he attempted to push himself up. "What was that all about? Star, are you… alright…"

The words died in his throat as he looked down at the girl beneath him, his face no doubt matching her's in color. The princess was currently pinned, his arms on both sides of her head. Her hair was splayed out behind her, Star's beanie having landed a few feet away from where the two had stopped, and her coat had a few specks of ice on it.

The two remained in the position for what felt like hours, neither able to move or say anything, instead only focusing on the other's face.

"Attention all skaters, please exit the rink. Attention all skaters, please exit the rink. Our zamboni will be smoothing out the ice."

The sound of the voice over the intercom speakers was the push the two needed as Marco sprang back to life, pushing himself off and away from the girl. He held a hand over his chest as he sighed, noting how quickly it was beating.

Using the nearby wall as support, Marco managed to make it back onto his feet and looked over at Star, who was struggling to get into a sitting position, her beanie placed securely onto her head.

"Star." A small smile made its way onto the boy's face as he held out his hand. "Need a hand?"

She stopped moving when he spoke, looking at his hand before moving her gaze up towards his face. Despite their little accident, Star let out a soft chuckle as she took Marco's hand and was pulled up. The rink was almost empty at this point, and as the two made their way back towards the gate, Star's grip on Marco's hand tightened.

"Hot Chocolate?"

"Hot Chocolate."

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 **Author's notes: This one was a bit difficult to write, but enjoyable nonetheless. Hopefully you all enjoyed it!**


	3. Cookies

A few beeps could be heard as various buttons were pressed, the display lighting up as numbers appeared in a small box just above the oven's door. Once the preparations were complete, the blinking '375' dropped down to '100,' the inside of the oven already beginning to light up as the heat began to increase in temperature.

"Alright, that's done… Star, do you have the recipe?"

"Right here, Marco! These cookies are going to be _so-o_ good!"

Turning away from the oven, Marco found Star with a piece of paper in her hand, waving it around with a grin on her face. "Well, that depends on whether or not you actually follow the instructions this time."

"That was one time, Marco! Or, well, more than one time…" She trailed off, setting the paper down onto the countertop. "But come on! 'Only a few shredded pieces of cheese,' Marco? You can never have too much cheese for nachos!"

The princess's response earned her a light-hearted chuckle from the boy across from her as he moved over to the pile of ingredients and laid out bowls and cooking utensils, grabbing the recipe as he did so. His eyes moved left and right repeatedly as he read the paper's contents.

"Eggs, flour, baking powder…" Marco muttered, his gaze constantly shifting between the recipe and the stack of ingredients in front of him. As he he neared the bottom of the list, his eyebrows scrunched up as he brought the paper closer to his face, eyes flitting towards the materials in front of him. "Star, did we forget to get the-"

Turning his head towards the girl, an unamused look quickly settled onto the boy's face as he found Star with a handful of chocolate chips-one of the main parts to the the dessert that they were cooking- and dangling them above her open mouth. Her eyes widened, realizing that she'd been caught in the act, and she smiled sheepishly as she dropped the pieces back into the bag and handed it over to Marco.

"Chocolate chips, check. Alright, that's everything." Nodding his head in approval, Marco gestured for the princess to come over as he set the recipe next to a large bowl. "Now, let's see…"

With Marco acting as 'head chef' and Star as his assistant, the two managed to make short work of the dish, the boy showing just how proficient he was at the culinary arts while the princess fulfilled whatever it was that he needed done. The duo were like a well-oiled machine, working in harmony with each other without getting in the others' way. By the time the dough was made and being scooped onto a tray covered with parchment paper, the oven had reached the required temperature, a series of beeps emanating from it for a moment before stopping.

Honestly, Marco was surprised. Despite a few near-spills, he and Star had made the cookies without so much as a single accident. It may have been due to the princess's want for them rather then the importance of making them, but a small surge of pride welled up within the boy as he placed the tray of uncooked dough into the oven, setting the timer afterwards.

"All we need to do now is wait," Marco sighed, leaning against the counter with his hands in his pockets. "That was a pretty good job, Star. Keep this up and you'll be-" The boy stopped mid-sentence at the sound of a snickering coming from his left.

Upon looking in that direction, Marco could see Star with a hand over her mouth, attempting to hold back a giggle. Confusion entered his mind for a moment before she pointed towards her chin. Running a hand underneath his own, Marco found a small patch of white in his palm; the face that he'd made led to Star being unable to hold herself back anymore, uncovering her mouth as she chuckled.

"Looks like I'm not the only one that needs to watch out for messes." The fact that Star had managed to keep herself spotless throughout the entirety of the process drove the statement further home. A mischievous grin settled onto the boy's face as he subtly made his way next to the leftover bowls and cups.

"Are you sure about that, Star? I think you've got a little something on you."

The princess arched an eyebrow before looking down at herself, puzzled by what Marco meant. "Marco, what are you talking about. I'm-" The girl's eyes widened as something brushed against her cheek. Bringing a hand to her face, Star let out a surprised gasp before turning her attention back to the culprit, his gaze averted and looking as innocent as he possibly could.

"You've made a horrible mistake, Marco Diaz."

Her astonishment was masked by a wide grin as Star moved for cover, grabbing whatever leftover ingredients she could, with Marco doing the same. Ingredients were soon flying across the kitchen, laughter coming from its inhabitants as the two threw whatever they could get their hands on at each other.

"I thought you were supposed to be good with food, Marco?" The princess jabbed, barely moving her head out of the way of an incoming ball of dough.

"A chef has his moments. Ideas can hit you when you least expect it!" Taking the chance while Star was distracted, Marco quickly made his way to the other side of the kitchen, sliding across the floor on his knees and stopping a few feet in front of his opponent. The two reacted instantly, each chucking the last of their 'weapons' at each other; puffs of powder caused the both of them to cough, fanning the air in front of them before they looked back at each other.

Laughter soon filled the room as they realized that they had used the last of their ammo, agreeing to a temporary cease-fire as they began to dust themselves off. Once they had managed to get their clothes back to a presentable appearance, Marco took a seat next to Star, his laughter slowly dying down.

"Sorry about that, Star. Looks like we'll need to go out again if we want to make more…" He sighed, staring down at his powered hands for a moment before shaking his head. He looked over at the girl next to him, his mouth open to speak again before taking notice of the princess's expression.

"Star?"

"You've, ah, got some on your face." Bringing her hand to his face, Star gently rubbed her thumb across Marco's cheek, brushing off the leftover flour that had made its way there during their little scuffle. She lingered there for a moment, ignoring the sudden heat that embraced her fingertips, when something entered her peripheral vision.

"Same could be said for you." The slight confusion the girl had gave way to understanding when the boy sitting next to her swept two fingers across her nose, a tiny puff of white that she'd yet to notice falling onto her lap. "There…"

Having been broken out of her daze, Star's eyes shifted to the entirety of Marco's face. The redness of his cheeks were just barely visible, and had she not been focusing on it, she would have missed it entirely. His lips had curled up into a smile, one that seemed so full of contentment despite their little skirmish. Looking up into his eyes, Star found them to be locked onto hers the moment she'd done so; soft and inviting, they were as brown as the chocolate chips that they'd used for the cookies.

Silence encompassed the room for a few moments, the two locked into what felt like an endless staring contest with each other. It wasn't an awkward sort of silence, as it tended to be whenever a topic couldn't be breached within a conversation. It just felt… natural. Right.

A loud 'ding!' forced the two into action, both Star and Marco quickly separating from each other. Turning their heads, the two saw that the timer had gone off, the light within the oven showing what looked to be an amazing batch of cookies.

"Looks like the cookies are done."

"Yeah…"

Getting back onto their feet, the two grimaced as they surveyed the damage done to the kitchen. Marks and stains could be seen everywhere from the cabinets to the stove. Bits of chocolate chips were scattered across the floor, a few lying inside of a few hard-to-reach cracks in between the kitchen appliances. Smudges of dough dotted the walls, some stuck in place while others slowly began their descent towards the floor. The place looked like a complete mess.

Looking at each other and back at the destruction that they'd caused to the poor kitchen, it wasn't long before the both of them were laughing once again, Marco leaning against the counter for support while Star held onto her sides.

"What are we doing?" Marco said in between breaths.

"You ask that question now, Marco?" Her laughter dying down into giggles, the princess wiped away a few tears from her eyes before continuing, "And you were the one that was worried about me making a mess…"

The response resulted in a few more snickers escaping the boy's mouth before, once they had recovered, he let out a soft sigh.

"We're going to have to clean this up, Star."

"I know."

"I blame you for this."

"Sure, but you had a part in this just as much as I did, Marco. 'Mess Up Twins', remember?"

The smile present on the princess's face prompted Marco to return it. Things might have gotten a bit hectic, but the important thing was that they had at least managed to finish what they had started.

Putting on a pair of oven mitts, the boy slowly opened the oven up, his nose immediately picking up on the delicious aroma that had entered the air. It seemed that Star had picked it up to, as once he had taken the tray into his hands and closed the oven door, Star was right next to him, a look of pure awe on her face as the cookies were placed onto a separate baking sheet.

"Can we eat them now?" Star whispered, her fingers tapping against the countertop with anticipation.

Marco shook his head, gesturing towards the kitchen. "We've still got to clean this place up, Star." Before she could protest, Marco quickly added, "Besides, these things need to cool down for a little while. By the time we're done, they'll be perfect."

As disappointed as she was that she couldn't dive straight into the delectable-looking chocolate chip cookies, Star knew that Marco had a point; while the Diaz's had shown more tolerance than one would have towards Star, her behavior, and her magic, it was only fair that she clean up the havoc that she'd often cause as a result of it.

With a sigh, Star reluctantly moved away from the cookies, taking a quick glance at them over her shoulder, making sure that they wouldn't get up and run away, before making her way towards the closet where they kept their cleaning supplies. Before she had exited the kitchen, however, Marco called out to her.

"Star? First dibs are yours."

The princess faltered for a moment, allowing the words to sink in, before she continued walking, shaking her head as she smiled.

Gentleman as always, that Marco Diaz.

* * *

 **Author's notes: This one took me a bit more time to write - this is the longest chapter so far! - but it was fun to write! Here's hoping that you all enjoy it!**

 **Chasemus - Glad to know that you're liking it!**

 **.sandwich. - Thank you very much! I don't really get any snow over where I live, so I understand the feeling...**

 **The Guest: Can you read minds? I actually had an idea similar to that for one of the later stories that I've got planned, but this one is just as good!**

 **thewookie1 - I'd like to think that Star would like hockey. She may receive a few penalties for 'excessive sportsmanship' (I.E. trying to constantly tackle people) but as long as she has fun with it, that's all that matters, right?**

 **Anonymims - I need the fluff as much as you do, Anon. Until the hiatus rolls over, Starco shippers will everything that they can get.**


	4. Warm Fire and Movies

"Don't stay up too late, mijo! And be sure to turn everything off when you're done, alright?"

"I got it, Dad. Good night."

With a light wave of his hand, Marco watched as his father walked up the rest of the staircase. Once he had disappeared from sight, the boy turned his attention back to the fireplace in front of him, tossing in another piece of wood. The flames rose in height for a moment, flickering from the sudden shift, before slowly beginning to die down, crackling as the fire greedily devoured its fuel source.

After a rather tiring day of shopping, going from store to store all the while fighting through swarms of people that resided deep within downtown Echo Creek, a hot shower and lounging in front of the fireplace was the perfect way to end to end the day on.

"Marco, you never told me that there were magical artifacts on Earth! And you said that talking snowmen weren't real."

...A few Christmas movies didn't hurt, either.

Chuckling softly, Marco moved back to his spot a few feet in front of the TV, wrapping the remaining portion of the shared blanket around his shoulders. While it would have been more comfortable to simply sit on the couch, after the first few movies - Marco could have sworn that he'd seen a few tears fall from Star's eyes after watching the other reindeer mark Rudolph an outcast - Star had insisted that they sit up closer to the TV to get "a better feel for the movies!"; the heat of the fireplace was also a welcome addition to their new seating arrangement.

"That's because they aren't, Star," he replied, grabbing a handful of popcorn from the bowl in between and popping them into his mouth. "Frosty's a cartoon. Movies like these are just to bring people into the holiday spirit."

The girl scoffed, rolling her eyes playfully before replying, "Whatever you say, Marco. Still, it'd be pretty cool to have a living, breathing snowman around! There should be a spell somewhere in the spell book…" Her words slowly turned into mutterings as her mind filled itself with the fun possibilities that a magical being made of ice might bring.

Marco simply smiled, finding amusement in Star's actions before turning his attention back to the TV screen. The rest of the movie was spent talking back and forth with each other, the princess offering her commentary during a few key scenes and Marco responding in kind. By the time the next film was being played, it was already nearing midnight, and Star was struggling to stay awake; the boy offered to continue watching the rest of the movies tomorrow, but the princess insisted on continuing regardless of how tired she might have felt.

The next movie started off simple enough. The story centered around two childhood friends, one of which that had to move away a few days before Christmas, and the two promising to meet each other again the following year. When the other didn't show up the next year, and the years following that, they eventually faded away into memory, stored away and forgotten. The rest of the movie focused on the two finding each other again and reconnecting, though it's a bit of a struggle due to the former character having completely forgotten about their promise.

Star was strangely quiet for the majority of this movie, only speaking when she felt the need to, much to Marco's surprise. After watching a rather heart-tugging scene where the character finally recognized his childhood friend, the boy took the opportunity in between scene changes to take a quick look at the time, his eyebrows raised as he realized that it was nearing midnight.

"Star, I think we should head to bed after… this…" Looking back over at Star, Marco was startled to find the girl dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, sniffling as she was doing so.

"Why did that take them so long? They should have realized that it was them the moment that they saw each other…" Watching as the tissue disappeared in a small puff of smoke, Marco broke out of his daze and quickly moved to ease the girl's sudden tears.

"Hey, hey," he said, placing a hand on the princess's shoulder, "it's fine, Star. It's just a movie, remember?"

"That's not the point, Marco." Once her sniffling had subsided, Star brought her knees to her chest before sighing, covering herself with a bit more of the blanket. "It might not be real, but something like that can happen in real life, and that scares me. How could you just forget someone so important to you like that? It's like if I forgot about you, or you forgot about me."

"Star…"

Uncertainty was written on Marco's face as he removed his hand from Star's shoulder. Given the princess's nature, it made sense for her to react this way; friends were immensely important to her, and she always tried to make other people happy in whatever way she could. It was something that Marco admired about her, and he found himself inching his way closer to Star as they continued watching the movie.

"You're too important to me to forget."

Marco had shut his mouth the moment the words came out of his mouth, his mind having failed to process what he was saying before it was too late. He peeked at the girl out of the corner of his eye, and the look of genuine surprise on her face had caused him to nearly jump up and leave the room then and there. The next few minutes passed by in silence, neither finding anything to say.

Her fingers curled around the hem of her sweater, the voices coming from the TV faded away until only the crackling of the fire and her own heartbeat were the only things Star could hear. Then, tentatively, she leaned against the boy sitting next to her, resting her head against his shoulder. The movement caused Marco to tense up for a moment, and, fearing that she may have crossed an unspoken line, made to move back to her original position, all the while playing it off with a smile and a laugh.

It came as a surprise to her when, instead of shying away from the princess, the boy's arm suddenly relaxed, allowing her to fully rest her head comfortably. Confusion flooded Star's mind as she turned her gaze up towards Marco's face, attempting to gauge his reaction.

Marco's eyes were fixed solely on the TV, and refused to look in any other direction but forward. His mouth was zipped up into a straight line, and he gave off an expression of passiveness; however, in the light of the fire, the boy's face was almost as bright as its flames - and no doubt just as warm - his cheeks coated with the color red.

"Marco?"

"Yes?" The boy's tone was a few octaves higher than usual, and Star found herself having to stifle a grin despite herself. A yawn escaped her mouth as her eyes began to droop, and she was quiet for a moment before speaking.

"Why did you let me stay here with you?"

Whatever embarrassment Marco might have felt up until that point had dissipated at the girl's question. His face turned thoughtful for a moment, looking as if he was trying to find the right words to respond with, before he finally spoke.

"Because I wanted to. It was kind of obvious that Ludo wasn't going to stop trying to get your wand, and as capable that I know you are… I just wanted to help. And I don't regret it at all.

"You're just this amazing person that I can't believe I even got to know. It was kind of hard for me to deal with at first, what with you being from another dimension and all," he chuckled, the memories of their first meeting still fresh in his mind, "but I guess it just… grew on me. Before you came along, my days revolved around waking up, eating, going to school, sleeping, and it would just repeat, over and over again."

Taking the girl's silence as his cue to talk, Marco continued, his voice softening as he spoke.

"Now? A "normal" day for me is filled with magic, adventuring, or a combination of the two, and I honestly can't imagine my life without it - without you, in it. You're the coolest girl I know, Star. You're kind of clumsy, and you tend to throw yourself into things without thinking first, but…" He paused, the weight in his chest lessening slightly as he took a deep breath.

"You make everyday fun and exciting. You're brave, outgoing, curious about a lot of things and willing to learn about them… You're my best friend, Star, and I wouldn't trade you for anything."

The corners of his mouth curled up into a soft smile as the boy rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed at the out-pour of emotion. While he had opened himself up to Star on a number of occasions, this time was different; it might have been due to the current atmosphere, but the one word that could be used to describe it would be… "intimate."

"Star… I-" A soft intake of breath stopped Marco in his tracks, his words suddenly caught in his throat as he found himself unable to breathe. His heart hammering in his chest, the boy dared to take a look at the girl lying next to him, unprepared for whatever response he was going to receive.

A thin trail of saliva seeped out of Star's mouth as she drooled on Marco's shoulder. The entirety of her body was leaning against him, her eyes closed and completely oblivious to the world around her. The princess was out like a light, it seemed, and had decided to use the boy as her makeshift pillow.

Marco stared at the princess, the seconds passing by in tense silence, save for Star's light breathing. She shifted suddenly, as if she were looking for something, a look of dissatisfaction on her face before she wrapped an arm around Marco's own, exhaling slowly as she smiled.

After reassuring himself that the girl was fully asleep, Marco dragged out a sigh, the pressure in his chest deflating like a balloon as he exhaled. Tearing his gaze away Star, Marco turned his attention back to the TV, something that had been ignored by the two until now. The last of what looked to be the credits rolled up the screen, the picture shifting to colorful writing that read 'The End' before fading to black.

"So much for our movie marathon…" Stifling a yawn, Marco looked back at the girl lying next to him, who had yet to move from her position. Sighing softly at the drool that had pooled onto his shoulder, Marco held the girl up as he moved away from her, gently laying her against the ground for a moment as he turned off the TV. The only source of light present in the room was the nearby lamp, the embers of the fire slowly beginning to die down until only the charred remains of the wood remained.

Soft grumbling brought Marco's attention back to Star, and he quickly knelt down and scooped the princess into his arms, her silent complaining disappearing like a flick of a switch. Marco chuckled softly as he shook his head. "What am I going to do with you," he whispered, pushing a loose strand of hair back behind the girl's ear.

Turning the light off, the room was enveloped in darkness as Marco carefully made his way towards the staircase. One foot after the other, the boy slowly made his way up the steps, opening the door to the princess's room and placing her on the bed. After pulling up the covers, Marco quietly made his way towards the door of the room, stopping just shy of the doorway when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Thanks, Marco…"

Turning back around, the boy found Star still sound asleep in her bed in the same position he'd left her in. Stepping out of the room, Marco shook his head before making his way over to his room and into his bed.

"Never change, Star..."

* * *

 **Author's notes: This chapter was definitely one of the more "challenging" ones to write in terms of character, but I think it turned out pretty well! Hope you enjoyed a bit of a more "serious" Starco oneshot!**

 **Also, a bit of a note: Due to upcoming Finals, the next chapter might take a bit longer to push out, unfortunately. However, once Winter Break hits, things should start to pick up speed again. Until then, I hope that you enjoyed this latest chapter!**


	5. Hot Chocolate

"Two cups of Hot Chocolate, please. Extra whipped cream."

Handing the money over to the cashier, a receipt and a paper with a number was quickly placed into Marco's hands before he moved to the side. Pocketing his change, he looked down at the piece of paper. A little 'Thank You!' was printed at the top in bright red and green, and a large '40' lay just beneath it. It looked like he had gotten lucky; turning his head up towards a board with the cafe's menu written on it, a small screen with a blinking '36' sat just above the register, indicating that another customer's order was ready.

Weaving in and out of the large crowd of people, Marco eventually made his way back to the front of the coffee shop, letting out a relieved sigh after barely managing to squeeze his way past two people. Dusting himself off, he turned his gaze to the tables off to the side, his eyes squinted in concentration until they lit up with recognition after spotting a familiar head band. Walking over to the table, the boy placed the numbered paper in front of its sole occupant before taking a seat in front of them.

"Remind me again why we had to pick the busiest cafe in Echo Creek?" He propped an elbow against the table, his hand pressed against his cheek as he stared at the girl in front of him.

"Because it was the closest one?" She offered Marco an apologetic smile, chuckling awkwardly, before she realized that the look on his face had yet to change. "Come on, Marco, you have to admit that the place looks nice!"

Despite the dread that he felt knowing that he'd have to brave through the sea of people once their order was ready, Marco had to admit that the place the princess had chosen was rather comforting. Everything about it-from the pictures of the original owners on the walls to the various knick-knacks scattered throughout the building-had a sort of 'log cabin' feel to it; the fresh scent of pine that mixed in with the smell of chocolate and coffee made it feel as though they were on a retreat in the woods.

"Well, you aren't wrong." A small grin settled onto the boy's face, prompting Star to return one of her own. "But we've got plenty of packets of cocoa back home. What made you want to come out here?"

The girl shook her head, acting as if the boy had just asked something with an obvious answer.

"Authenticity, Marco! If hot chocolate is what people drink during this time of year, then we need an actual cup of it, not a second-hand, store-bought version of it!" Star nodded, feeling as though she'd given him a satisfactory answer.

While he had been tempted to tell the princess that there wasn't all too much of a difference on whether or not they had either kind of the drink, the enthusiasm in Star's eyes was enough to keep Marco's mouth shut. Offering the girl a light shrug, Marco turned his head towards the window, watching the passersby as they piled into the busy street, boxes upon boxes in their hands as they finished up the last of their Christmas shopping.

There was a kind of amusement in it, watching people attempt a last-minute dash to get gifts for Christmas. He often found himself questioning why people would wait until the week of the winter holiday to go out and crowd into stores, standing in lines that were a bit too long and waiting just shy of an hour or two to get their families what they wanted for Christmas. The reasons were varied, often people lacked the necessary funds at the time or were just too lazy, but they made sense to him regardless.

"Number 38! One Mocha Latte and a brownie! Number 38!"

Snapping out of his daze, Marco rubbed his eyes before getting up from his seat.

"Here, I've got it-"

"No, I think I should-"

The two simultaneously went for the paper, Marco having reached it first, and made to take the order back up to the cashier. Their eyes traveled from the paper to each other's faces, the both of them sporting a grin as Marco sat back down, the both of them trying to pull the paper over to their side of the table.

"Star, I'm the one that paid for it."

"I know that, Marco, but do you really want to have to go through that, again?" She gestured towards the gathering of people, which seemed to have grown larger in their time waiting for their order to be ready.

"Star," Marco sighed, "really, it'll only take a few minutes. Don't worry about it. Let me just-" He had almost managed to pry the small piece of paper from the girl's grasp, but a weight had pressed itself onto the top of his hand, keeping it rooted to the spot.

"Please, Marco? I want to see how they make everything!"

The boy's eyes were downcast as he opened his mouth to speak, yet the words quickly died in his throat. Star's hand was firmly placed on top of his own, her fingers spread apart across the entirety of it, refusing to let it move. An inexplicable warmth traveled up to Marco's face the longer he stared, and it wasn't until she said his name again that he quickly snapped his gaze back onto the princess.

Confusion was etched onto her face, wondering why the boy had suddenly clammed up, when she turned her eyes downward. Her mouth formed a small 'O' as the realization hit her, and she removed her hand, the pink hearts on her cheeks a bit more colorful than usual.

Silence fell upon the two as they averted eye contact, Marco fidgeting slightly in his seat while Star played with a lock of her hair. It wasn't as if this sort of contact was unusual to them; hugs have been a common occurrence between the two for as long as they could remember. What was it about simply touching each other's hands that caused something like this to happen? Why was his heart beating a bit faster than usual, and why was it that she felt so happy when she had done so?

"Number 40! Two Hot Chocolates, extra whipped cream! Number 40!"

Jolting in his seat from the sudden call of their order, Marco grabbed the paper lying in between Star and him, stuffing it into his pocket. Getting up from his chair, he'd taken only a few steps forward before stopping, his hand resting on top of the nearby railing.

"Star," he rubbed the back of his neck, his head slightly turned to look at the girl, "it'll get kind of tight in there. Stick next to me, alright?"

A smile lit up the girl's face once the recognition of Marco's words hit her, and she sprang up from her chair, joining Marco as they pushed through the large group of people. Having seen bits and pieces of how much of a struggle it had been for the boy to simply make it to the front of the line while she had been waiting, Star found herself taking a deep breath of air once they had emerged on the other side of the cafe, glancing back from where they had come before shuddering slightly.

"Here you go!" The cashier offered the two a small grin as he handed them their order, letting out a light chuckle at the younger girl's entrancement with the machines currently being operated by other employees As the duo walked off, they added a quick, "Thanks for stoppin' by! Enjoy the rest of your date, you two!" before calling off the next order.

The two stood underneath the cover of the overhanging sign as they exited the building and stepped into the embrace of the cold morning air. Cradling the warm cup in his hands, Marco looked up at a nearby building filled with decorations.

"We don't look _that_ convincing, do we?"

He chuckled softly, the assumption somewhat silly to him. When he received silence in response, the boy was surprised to find Star looking down at her drink, her shoulders raised slightly and cheeks a bright shade of red.

"... Can it be?"

Marco could have sworn that his heart had stopped for a moment. Star wanted their little outing to be a _date_? Star wanted to go on a _date_?

Star wanted to go on a date with _him_?

The boy's mind was a flurry of thoughts as he continued to stare at the princess. Their moment in the coffee shop paled in comparison to how he felt now; loss of breath, increased heart rate, and sweaty palms were what comprised Marco Diaz at the moment. Did she really feel that way about him? And if so, for how long?

The silence lingered between them for a few more seconds before the boy took a deep breath. Balling a hand up into a fist and releasing a few times, Marco hesitantly took Star's hand in his. The princess's gaze shot towards the space between them, her eyes widening, before she finally looked back towards the boy standing next to her, a shy smile present on his face.

"If you want it to be."

* * *

 **Author's notes: Things have been pretty hectic, but I wanted to push out one more chapter before Finals!**

 **Kitty Cheshire - Thank you very much! Truth be told, even when I've gone to an area with snow, any attempts at making a snowman tend to end up in failure ^-^;**

 **TheOneAndOnly1993 - Not everything can be set up just right, unfortunately TwT There will only be fluff for now, but soon, One. Things will be picking up from here!**

 **Bisera - I wouldn't go so far as to call my stories masterpieces, but I'm glad to know that you're enjoying them!**

 **Again, thank you very much for reading these little stories! I'll be disappearing for around a week after this, but I've already got a few more ideas for chapters for Spells and Hot Chocolate, so stay tuned!**


	6. Sick

The sound of soft footsteps could be heard echoing throughout the upper floor of the Diaz household as Marco approached the door to Star's bedroom. A small tray was held in his hand, the steam rising from the bowl of soup visible proof that it was still warm to the touch.

"Star?" He knocked on the door gently before turning the handle and opening it slowly, "I'm coming in. I've got something that'll help you feel better."

A loud groan was the boy's reply as he shut the door behind him. Looking around the room, his nose scrunched up in distaste at the various items lying scattered across the floor, and he made a mental note to remind the princess to clean it when she was back to her normal, hyperactive self.

Making his way over to the bed, Marco could see the covers shuffling a bit before yellow hair popped up from beneath, followed by its sole occupant.

"Hey, Marco," Star coughed, her voice slightly hoarse. She sniffled a bit as she reached for the nearby box of tissues, taking a few before blowing her nose and throwing them into the trashcan next to her bed. "Is it some sort of Earth magic that'll help get rid of this thing?"

"Not necessarily, Star."

Marco chuckled as he moved to the foot of the bed, grabbing the foldable table before setting it down next to the girl's bedside. Gesturing for her to sit up, Star reluctantly lifted her head from the softness of her pillows and peered over into the bowl that the boy had set down next to her.

"I don't expect you to finish all of it, but you've got to get some food into you, Star. A bowl of soup is the best way to fight off a cold."

Reaching over for the spoon, Star's hands were gently swatted away as Marco dipped it into the broth, earning him a confused look from the princess.

"Marco-"

"The less you exert yourself, the more quickly you'll recover." The boy held his hand out in a placating manner, the other brought to his lips as he lightly blew the spoonful of soup. Holding his hand underneath the spoon, Marco brought it over to the sick princess, a soft smile present on his face as he said, "Here, Star."

While the girl felt well enough to feed herself, Star felt an unexplainable happiness well up within her chest as she silently nodded, the warmth of the broth already soothing her worn out throat as she took in spoonful after spoonful of the soup.

While Star had often been cared for by her parents whenever she'd contracted some form of disease or illness, there was something different about the recuperation process with Marco. The girl was fully aware of the safety streak Marco had, finding quite a bit of amusement in it, but his being more delicate than he usually was showed her just how much he truly cared for her well-being; it was worth being sick if meant that she'd be under the boy's care.

A wave of disappointment washed over Star once the bowl had been emptied. Setting it off to the side, Marco turned his attention back to the princess, his hands clasped together as he asked, "Is there anything else that you want?"

Laying back against the pillow, Star found herself unable to speak, drowsiness tugging at her eyelids as she fought to stay awake.

"Just… stay here. Please…"

Closing her eyes, the girl's breathing softened as she held her hand out, leaving it dangling over the edge of the bed. Marco rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze turning towards the door for a moment, before softly sighing and taking Star's hand in his. Their fingers wrapped around each others' as the boy scooted closer to the bed, despite the logical part of his mind telling him that he'd get sick not too long after, and rested his chin against his other arm.

The two remained in that position for what felt like hours, the princess's quiet breathing the only sound that could be heard in the room. Having nothing to do aside from sitting where he was, boredom had captured Marco quickly, and his gaze moved constantly throughout the room until his eyes had settled onto the girl's face.

Never before had Marco felt as entranced as he was by simply staring at Star's face. In place of the usual grin and energetic attitude was a look of complete peace, something that was considered rare for the princess. Despite the light bit of drool seeping out of the girl's mouth, it hadn't put off the boy in the slightest, instead adding more to what he thought natural of Star; even when she was sick, the princess still managed to retain that charm of hers.

Marco was broken from his daze when the girl began to shuffle underneath the sheets, turning so that she lay facing towards the boy. A few strands of Star's hair dangled over her face, prompting the boy to lean over and set them back into place.

"Marco?"

The boy in question froze in place at the sound of the Star's voice, his eyes wide open as he watched her own eyes crack open somewhat, a small smile settled onto her face. One of the girl's hands lazily grabbed onto Marco's free one, bringing it next to her cheek and holding it there. Warmth enveloped the boy's face as he fought desperately to keep himself quiet.

"Thanks for putting up with me." The princess's eyes closed for a moment before opening once again, though it was obvious to Marco by now that she wasn't fully awake, and more likely than not unable to comprehend what she was saying.

"You always know what to do to help me feel better." Star sighed as her grip on Marco's hands slackened, her eyelids drooping downwards as she said, "That's one of the reasons why I like you so much…"

Whatever else the princess had planned on saying would go unheard as her eyes closed. Once he was sure that the girl was asleep, Marco freed his hands from the confines of Star's grasp. His mind processed everything Star had said, over and over, repeating until it had been ingrained in his memory.

Star said that she _liked_ him. Granted, she wasn't fully aware of it, but the fact that those words had left the girl's mouth at all spoke volumes to Marco, and he found his flushed face grow a bit more warm as he entertained the thought.

Getting up from his chair, Marco looked down at the princess, the corner of his mouth curling up into a smile.

"That wasn't fair, Star. I didn't get to say it back."

* * *

 **Author's Notes: Sorry that this one is a bit late! Now that Finals are over, I can put more time into putting out more one-shots for SaHC. The month of December may be coming to an end, but I've still got a few more stories planned out before this thing is finished, and even then, I'll still be putting out more Starco! For now, I hope you all enjoy this little snippet!**

 **Guest - I have no idea how I forgot about that =w=; For this story, at least, Star hasn't seen it before.**

 **Tiberius F. Torquils - We need the fluff to balance out the wave of angst :) Glad to know that you're liking the stories so far!**

 **Thank you all for wishing me good luck on my Finals! I managed to knock them all out of the park, thankfully, and look forward to providing more Starco fluff for your reading pleasure!**

 **Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!**


	7. Mistletoe

"Marco, what's going on? You're acting… weird."

For the umpteenth time that day, Star had been moved away from the arch of a doorway, letting other passerby go first before being ushered forward by the resident 'Safe Kid' Marco Diaz. The hustle and bustle of Echo Creek's main shopping mall seemed to have no end; streams of people were constantly entering and exiting the large building, all of them doing a bit of Christmas shopping in preparation for the upcoming holiday.

When she had yet to receive an answer from the boy, the princess looked up towards the door that they had just stepped through. Nothing about it seemed out of the ordinary or dangerous, save for what looked to be a small plant with a bright red ribbon hanging directly above it. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Star pointed her thumb up towards the unknown plant.

"Is it because of that thing above the door? Actually, haven't all of the shops we've been too have those?"

Marco visibly flinched at the princess's pointedness, and let out a soft sigh as the two walked further into the store. "Yeah, Star," he murmured, running a hand through his hair as they stopped in front of a table lined with shirts. "They're called mistletoe."

"Mistletoe," the girl repeated, seemingly satisfied with having found out the name for the mystery plant. Scanning the lineup of upper garments, Star's eyes lit up as she picked up a bright yellow shirt, the words 'Sunny-Side Up' and a picture of a smiling sun inside of a frying pan splayed out across the front, and held it out towards the boy. "Alright, so what's the problem with them? They seem harmless enough to me."

Setting a shirt back onto the table, Marco's eyes were directed towards the shirt, looking it up and down before giving the princess a thumbs up. "There's nothing really wrong with them, Star. It's just that - well…"

Gesturing for her to follow, the two walked off, Marco's mind filling itself with a variety of thoughts. How was he supposed to explain this to Star? He'd hoped that Mewni would have some sort of equivalent to the Earth plant, but it seemed that luck wasn't on Marco's side today.

After passing by a mother trying to console her crying child, the two stepped into line to pay, the boy rubbing the back of his neck as he began his explanation. "People hang mistletoe above doors and places where people tend to pass through during the holidays. It's kind of a common tradition for Christmas - at least, around here, anyway."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Well, it's just… when two people step under it, you have to…" The boy trailed off, a blush coating his cheeks as he turned away from the princess. What should have been an easy explanation for Marco instead left him fumbling over his words, unable to properly convey what he was trying to say. He didn't really understand why it was so hard for him to tell her that people kissed underneath the holiday plant, but the thought of 'Star' and 'mistletoe' sent a strange shiver down Marco's back.

Right when he had gathered the courage to finish his explanation, the two had already reached the front of the line, the cashier looking at the two with a confused expression. Paying for the shirt as fast as humanly possible, the two exited the store and were thrust back into a sea of people.

"Marco," Star said as they walked with the flow of the shoppers, "if it's really that important to you, then you can just tell me when you're ready. I can wait."

Glancing over at the girl, Marco could see a patient smile on her face, adding even more guilt onto him. Turning his gaze back over towards her, Marco muttered, "The problem is that it's not really that important, Star. All it is is that… you…"

His eyes slowly moved upwards as Marco came to a stop. In his obliviousness, the boy had failed to realize that they were standing underneath a large, domed archway - one that was littered entirely with the object that had turned him into red-faced mess. He looked back down at Star, his mind formulating a plan on how to pass through the area as quickly as possible, when he caught the princess staring at something ahead of her.

Standing underneath a patch of mistletoe, a couple could be seen staring at each other, smiles adorning both of their faces, as the two inched towards each other and kissed.

Marco's mouth had gone completely dry, his mouth hanging open even after the couple had disappeared from sight. He doubted that he'd have been able to speak anyway, but to have it shown rather than told to the girl standing next to him was something that he hadn't expected.

"So that's why…"

Star glanced at Marco, understanding present in her expression for a moment, before she turned her gaze upwards.

Sitting right on top of the two was the most beautiful mistletoe that she'd ever seen. Little specks of white could be seen dotting its leaves, looking as if bits of snow had fallen on it. A bright red ribbon adorned its middle, outlined with a sparkling, gold trimming. Looking back at Marco, it seemed as though he'd taken notice as well, his eyes wide as he too looked up towards the plant. Silence enveloped the two as they stared at each other, their eyes locked in the other's gaze.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Star closed her eyes as she leaned forward, her lips gently brushing against Marco's own. Surprise was written over the boy's face as his eyes widened immensely, the color of his face going through various shades of red. He remained frozen for a few seconds, his mind drawing a complete blank, before he slowly began to settle into the embrace, wrapping his arms around the princess.

Everything seemed to freeze, the two having been locked into a single blissful moment in time. All Star could feel was the warmth of Marco's lips against hers and how right it felt. She could feel adrenaline coursing through her veins as she took everything in; the slight nervousness in his shaking arms, the light scent of deodorant on his person, and the softness of his lips had been made all the more apparent to her. She let out a noise of surprise when she felt the boy suddenly pull her in closer, but she made no move to stop anytime soon, instead relishing the gesture.

A few more seconds of silence passed between the two before they eventually pulled away from each other. Both of their faces were a dark shade of red, yet smiles were present as they stared at each other, neither needing to say what they felt. The sounds of passerby eventually made its way back to their ears, and the two glanced around to find that their little moment had come to an end.

"That was…"

"Yeah…"

Looking into the other's eyes, laughter filled the air between them before they leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together.

"Feeling a bit dangerous, 'Safe Kid?'"

"I don't know. Think you can handle it, 'Princess?'"

A few more chuckles escaped the two as various people walked past them. A few shoppers glanced at the two, muttering things like "To be young!" and "It is that time of year, after all," but they'd largely been ignored, due in part that there was still Christmas shopping to be done.

Loosening her grip on the boy's neck, Star took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to say, before fixing her attention back on the boy in front of her.

"Marco?"

"Yeah, Star?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

Silence pervaded the two once more as they stood there, Star's gaze suddenly falling from Marco's own as she continued. "I can't help it. You're just too - you! You're always there for me when no one else is, you make some pretty good nachos…" She chuckled softly, the smile on her face softening. "You understand me in a way that no one else can."

Once she had finished speaking, Star kept her eyes glued to the floor, her heart beating a pace far too fast to be considered normal. Now that her feelings were out in the open, what would happen to them now? Would Marco return her feelings? Would they just stay friends? Would things get awkward between them? Fear gripped a small part of her mind, but Star knew what the costs were in revealing something as serious this; all she could do now was hope that-

"... Really?"

The voice was so soft, so full of genuine surprise that Star found herself looking back up at Marco's face. What she found was a look of shock plastered right on the boy's face, yet it was quickly replaced with one of the brightest smiles she'd ever seen on Marco's face.

"Looks like you beat me to the punch, Star."

Arching an eyebrow, a confused expression settled onto Star's face for a moment, her mind processing what the boy just said before her eyes widened.

"You mean-"

"Yep. I was planning on telling you… eventually. I just-"

Marco was cut off mid-sentence as he was suddenly tackled onto the ground, a pair of lips planted firmly onto his own. Once they had parted, surprise still present on Marco's face, Star let out a deep sigh, smiling softly down at the boy.

"You do know that there are no take-backs, right? Are you sure you want to be stuck with someone like me?"

Marco didn't answer back right away, instead staring in awe at the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. She always managed to find a way to surprise him, didn't she?

Chuckling, Marco shook his head before speaking, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

 **Author's notes: Here's the next installment of Spells and Hot Chocolate! We're nearing the end of this series, but it's been a blast to write! Here's a little something for those that want a bit more 'fluff.'**

 **Guest: That sounds like a pretty intense idea! I'm not entirely sure that I'd be able to properly write it, though 'w'; If you've got an idea for a story, write it! It's always interesting to see others' writing styles!**

 **Random Guest: Your wish has been granted :)**

 **Tiberius: Hopefully your Christmas was full of fun as well! Christmas was actually pretty chill this year, surprisingly, but not unwelcome :)**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	8. Under The Stars

Bounding up the flight of stairs, Star's head peeked over the top as her eyes caught sight of a boy setting a sizable blanket down onto the balcony, making sure that each edge had been pressed down fully so as to not accidentally bunch it up into one place. Once he seemed satisfied with his work, the princess cleared her throat, prompting him to turn around and face her.

"Looks like you've got the stuff. Drinks?"

"Ice-cold."

"Nachos?"

"Extra cheesy."

A small smile settled onto Marco's face as he nodded, grabbing the two nearby pillows and placing them outside on the blanket's edge. Gesturing for the girl to join him, Marco fell back against one of the pillows, a look of contentment marking his features.

"Looks like we've got a little bit before the night ends," he said as the princess took the spot next to him, her hair spread out across a good portion of the blanket. "You wanted to know about all of them, right? That one up there is the 'Big Dipper…'"

Christmas Eve had been a flurry of events that Marco could vividly remember; dinner had been a feast, a play was seen, and the rest of the evening had been spent simply enjoying the view of the various houses and the decorations that littered each and every one. The rest of the night, according to Star, would be spent lying underneath the stars - he'd gotten a chuckle out of that one - waiting for Christmas to arrive.

As the night dragged on, Marco had gone over nearly every constellation in the sky, the drinks and bowl of nachos slowly depleting over the course of the explanations. As he finished rattling off the last one he had knowledge of, his hand had gone for the bowl, only to find that the princess's had decided that moment to do the same. Their hands brushed against each other, and they stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to say, before Star took a small piece and popped it into her mouth. She'd rattled off a compliment, with the boy giving his thanks, but the two suddenly found it hard to stare at each other's faces.

Occurrences like these were happening frequently throughout the month, and while the two eventually played off each and every one, awkwardness lingered between them longer than it usually did, prompting a sigh from the boy as he ran a hand over his face.

"Star, can I tell you something?"

Her focus torn from fiddling with a lock of her hair, Star turned her gaze towards the boy lying next to her, albeit keeping it off of his face. "Sure, Marco. What is it?"

The nervousness in her voice had almost kept Marco from speaking further, but after taking a deep breath, a small burst of confidence pushed him forward.

"I… I like you, Star."

Heat rose up on both of their faces the moment the words left the boy's mouth. Marco struggled to hold his gaze while Star's eyes finally made their way to his face, her expression a mixture of surprise and… relief?

"...All of this time?"

"Yeah…"

For a moment, the quiet stirred up Marco's anxiousness tenfold, a bead of sweat rolling down his head before a long sigh could be heard from the girl next to him.

"I've waited so long to hear that, you know?" A wobbly smile struggled to stay on Star's face upon processing the confession. Holding a hand over her chest, Star sent the boy a look of genuine puzzlement. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I don't know, Star. It's just that-" He gestured with his hands, irritation flaring within his eyes for a moment as he tried to properly formulate his words. "You're from another dimension, for one thing. And you're royalty! And I'm just… me. A human from a completely different dimension, from a completely different world.

"I figured that it was just better to say nothing, you know? You aren't going to stay here forever. Eventually, you'll go back to Mewni and take on the throne, and I'll still be here."

"You're selling yourself short, Marco! Besides, there's always the dimensional scissors!"

A dry laugh escaped Marco's throat as he turned his head towards her.

"Star, you and I both know you'd be too busy tending to your kingdom to spare a few visits to Earth every now and then. Besides," he sighed, "it wouldn't be the same."

Star had opened her mouth to retort, but found that she couldn't find anything to say. What Marco said was true; her time on Earth was limited, and once she had gained full control of her powers, she'd eventually have to leave the dimension for good. Any sort of visit - considering she wasn't overloaded from her duties as Queen - would be too few and far in-between. It could take months, even years before she could see Marco again, and by then, too much time would have passed between them for things to be the same.

Taking a chip from the bowl, Star dropped it into her mouth, chewing it thoughtfully as she stared up at the stars. "That's it, then? We just ride this thing out until it's over?"

Silence pervaded the space between them, confirming Star's suspicions towards what the boy could possibly say before she let out an annoyed groan, kicking her feet up weakly into the air.

"Why does this have to be so hard?"

The question, while simple, contained a vast amount of emotion within it when spoken. The boy found most of it to be confusion, but there was also a twinge of frustration within the princess's voice. He remained silent, unable - no, not wanting - to give her an answer; doing so would only further dampen the already soured mood. Instead, Marco took Star's hand into his own, his grip firm as their fingers intertwined with each other.

"Hey," he whispered, his voice as soft as the blanket that they were laying on, "did you think that we'd ever end up like this?"

"Lying underneath the stars?"

The look the boy had given her caused a few quiet chuckles to escape her before she sighed. "Honestly? Not really. I mean, under the right circumstances? Maybe."

A quizzical look settled onto the boy's face as he gestured for the princess to continue, curious as to what she originally thought.

"I'd always thought that it'd be after a big fight. You know, the ones where it looks like the good guys aren't going to make it, but they manage to win in the end? We'd be next to each other after everything's happened and just…" she moves her free hand up into the air and slowly moves it across in an arc, "lay everything out. It'd all be out in the open."

Once she lowered her hand back onto the ground, a small grin forms on the boy's face as he softly shakes his head. "And you say I watch too many movies…"

"I blame you for that, you know."

The two looked at each other, their eyes firmly locked with each other before the mood is broken by a small snicker. What follows next is a full bout of laughter, boisterous in tone and full of warmth as the two are unable to hold themselves back any longer.

"You always ruin these kinds of things, Marco!"

"Well, I learned from the best."

Laughter continued to fill the air around them for a few more minutes before it eventually died down, Star slowly catching her breath while Marco wiped a stray tear from his eye. Before the two of them could say anything further, a slight buzzing sound could be heard, followed by a series of beeps before repeating. Digging into his front pants' pocket, Marco fished his phone out, having been the source of the noise, and turned it on to find a small message splayed out across the screen.

"'Merry Christmas?' Has it been that long?"

Moving his eyes towards the upper corner of the phone's screen, Marco saw the time as '12:00 A.M.', signifying that it was indeed Christmas day.

Putting his phone back into his pocket, Marco turned his attention back to Star, her eyes as bright as the lights strewn across the front of their house. "Does that mean that we can-"

"Yes, Star," he cut her off, amused by her giddiness, "we get to open the presents today."

If the princess's smile could get any bigger, Marco thought that it would have fallen clean off of her face. The grip on his hand tightened slightly, due to how excited the girl was, but Marco shrugged off the discomfort as he turned his gaze back towards the stars above.

"Merry Christmas, Star."

"Merry Christmas, Marco."

The two stayed that way for the rest of the night, their hands locked and eyes focused on the starry night sky, with one thought lingering in their minds:

I wish that things could always stay like this.

* * *

 **Author's notes: And that's a wrap! This is the last chapter for Spells and Hot Chocolate, and it's been a blast writing it! I'll be holding off on doing another collection like this for a while, but there will still be stories here and there, so look forward to those!**

 **IUcOzAdE: While this little one-shot collection may have come to an end, I'll still be writing more stories, so there's no need to worry! And thank you! I hope yours was amazing as well!**

 **Bisera: ...After seeing this, I definitely feel as though you guys can read my mind =w=; Despite confessing to each other, I wanted to add in the 'different dimensions' factor and have it weigh on the two of them. The future seems uncertain, but for now, they can enjoy what time they have left with each other and face what may come later.**

 **Guest: You've always got to have that one 'expected' moment in a story x) And exactly; having contained her feelings for him for so long, to realize that he likes her back would still be enough to surprise Star, despite her usual bright attitude.**

 **I'd like to extend a massive thanks to everyone who has read and commented on this set of stories! This series really pushed me to not only write out multiple stories, but to put what knowledge I have on writing to the test, and I'm glad I decided to do it!**

 **Happy 2017, everyone! Until next time!**


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